


Red Light, Green Light

by Ruuger



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Backstory, First Meetings, Gen, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-27
Updated: 2014-05-27
Packaged: 2018-01-26 18:28:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1698269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruuger/pseuds/Ruuger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not all first meetings are memorable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red Light, Green Light

If there was one thing Lisbon hated, it was traffic duty. Technically, it didn't even fall under the jurisdiction of SFPD, but the Chief insisted on having all the rookies do a tag-along with CHP every once in a while to "teach them about the road". In Lisbon's opinion the only thing that it actually taught you was how to control your bladder after the fifth cup of stale thermos coffee.

But on a sunny Sunday afternoon like this it wasn't bad. They were parked on the curb on a small country road, idly watching the traffic after a quick stop to restock on coffee. She was just about to bite into her bearclaw when an old, eggshell blue Citroën flashed past them. Because they were caught metaphorically with the pants down and literally with their hands full of coffee and pastries, they didn't have time to get the radar gun out, but it was obvious even to the naked eye that the car had been going well over the speed limit. She braced herself as the CHP officer she'd been paired with started the car and turned on the lights. 

They didn't need to go far before the Citroën pulled over. When Lisbon looked at her partner, he shook his head.

"It'll be a learning experience," he said, and nodded towards the Citroën. Lisbon rolled her eyes as she stepped out of the car. Learning experience her ass. The only reason he wanted her to do it because it wasn't his double mocha that was going to turn cold.

With her fingers resting on the butt of her gun, just in case, she rounded the Citroën and knocked on the driver side window. 

"Your driver's license and registration, please," she said as the window opened.

The driver was a young man, just a few years older than her, with curly blond hair and a smug grin. The passenger seat was occupied by a woman about the same age as him. She was staring straight in front of her, her arms crossed, seemingly determined to ignore not only Lisbon, but also the man next to her.

"Here you are, Officer..." As the man handed her the papers, he craned his neck to read her name tag. "Lisbon."

Lisbon glanced at the papers and then looked at the man again. He was still smiling, like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Mister Jane, do you know how fast you were going?"

"No, but I'm sure you'll tell me, Officer."

It took all her willpower not to roll her eyes. Instead, she just took out her notebook and pretended to write down his details. He'd called her bluff, and the best that she could do was to let him off with a warning. She was trying to come up with a way to tell him that without making him think that he'd won, when he suddenly spoke again.

"Your favourite colour, it's maroon, right?"

Confused by his sudden non sequitur, Lisbon looked up from her pad and frowned. He was looking at her expectantly, like there was nothing strange about asking a cop her favourite colour. She found herself suddenly wondering if this was maybe a prank or a test of some kind, and quickly glanced towards the patrol car. Her partner was watching them with a neutral look on his face, and he wasn't that good an actor. Also, he was eating her bearclaw. The bastard.

"Why?" She asked, almost dreading the answer, like he'd just asked her to sniff one of those plastic flowers that squirt water. She had a strange sense of foreboding that she shouldn't believe a word that he said.

"Because my lovely companion has promised to say yes to my marriage proposal if I can correctly guess the favourite colour of thirty strangers today." The woman on the passenger side turned to glare at him, and smacked his arm.

He looked as sincere as his companion looked embarrassed. Lisbon shrugged. "Yeah, okay, it's maroon. How many have you got right so far?"

"Forty-two."

"So basically you're just showing off now." 

The man's smile only widened, and he looked at her like she was some stray dog that had suddenly done a trick.

Lisbon leaned down to look at the future Mrs. Jane.

"My condolences," she said to her, and then put away her pad and turned to look at Mr. Jane again. "Look, here's what we're going to do. I'll let you off with a warning this time, but only because I feel sorry for your girlfriend. Just make sure that I never see you again."

He pressed his hand to his heart. "You hurt me, Officer Lisbon. But thank you. I shall do my best to avoid you in the future."

He rolled the window close and then, with a cheerful little wave of his hand, drove way. 

Lisbon rolled her eyes, and headed back towards the patrol car. "Jackass..."


End file.
